KR

The Hanbali problem on the premature starting of Ramadan is nothing new. Why non-Hanbalis blindly follow them into such blatant errors in the 21st century must be queried. من تاريخ ابن حِجّي الشافعي تـ ٨١٦ هـ

If we are to accept that legally pluralistic systems, such potential for mess can only be mitigated with help from Muslim astronomers who can determine impossibility/possibility. Taken from بلوغ القرى في ذيل إتحاف الورى بأخبار أم القرى لابن فهد المكي تـ ٩٢٠ هـ

When one botched job leads to another botched job. This is what happens when Shariah judges don't pay heed to Muslim astronomers. تاريخ مصر المسمى بدائع الزهور في وقائع الدهور لابن إياس الحنفي تـ ٩٣٠ هـ

There is a reason why Subki's view that calculations must be used to eliminate erroneous sightings and the type of administrative mess (highlighted below) - is the only viable view. ثم دخلت سنة ثمان وأربعين واربعمائة... ...وفي عشية يوم الثلاثاء سلخ رمضان: خرج الناس لترائي هلال شوال فلم يروه، وصلى الناس التراويح علي عادتهم ونووا صوم غدهم، فلما كان بكرة يوم الأربعاء جاء الشريف أبو الحسين بن المهتدى المعروف: بالغريق الخطيب، وقد لبس سواده وسيفه ومنطقته، ووراءه المكبرون لابسين السواد علي هيئته إلى جامع دار الخلافة فرآه مغلقا، ففتحه ودخل وقال: اليوم يوم العيد، وقد رئي الهلال البارحة بباب البصرة، ورام الصلاة فيه، وجمع الناس به، وعرف رئيس الرؤساء الخبر فغاظه ذلك، وأحفظه أن لم يحضر الديوان العزيز ويطالعه بما كان وما تجدد في رؤية الهلال، فراسله واستحضره فامتنع وقال: حتى أصلى وأعيّد ثم نكفى إلى الديوان، فروجع وأحضر وأنكر عليه إقدامه علي فتح الجامع وهو مغلق، وقد علم أنه لا خبر للناس من هذا الأمر محقق، وقال له: قد كان يحبب أن تحضر الديوان العزيز، وتنهى الحال ليحيط به العلم الشريف، ويتقدم فيما يوجبه ويقتضيه. وأغلظ له فيما خاطبه فاعتذر، وقال: ما فعلت مما فعلته إلا ثقة بنفسي، وبعد أن وضحت الصورة عندي، وكان قد حضرني البارحة ثمانية أنفس من جيراني أثق بقولهم فشهدوا عندي جميعا بمشاهدة الهلال، فقطعت بذلك وحكمت وأفطرت وأفطر الناس في باب البصرة، وخرجوا اليوم قاصدين جامع المدينة، ولم أعلم أن هذا لم يشع، فحضرت وأنكرت كون الجامع مغلقا، ثم جاء قوم فشهدوا برؤية الهلال. فقال رئيس الرؤساء لقاضي القضاة أبي عبد الله الدامغاني: ما عندك في هذا؟ فقال: أما مذهب أبي حنيفة الذي هو مذهبي فلا تقبل مع صحو السماء، وجواز ما يمنع من مشاهدة الهلال إلا قول العدد الكثير الذي يبلغ مائتين، وأما مذهب الشافعي رضي الله عنه الذي هو مذهب هذا الشريف فإنه يقطع بشهادة اثنين في مثل هذا. وطولع الخليفة بالحال، فأمر بالنداء أن لا يفطر أحد، فأمسك من كان أكل، وكان والد القاضي أبي الحسين قد مضى إلى جامع القطيعة فصلى بالناس وعيد، وكذلك في جامع الحربية ولم يعلموا بما جرى. المنتظم في تاريخ الملوك والأمم لابن الجوزي

ونهض من فاس منتصف رَمَضَان سنة اثْنَتَيْنِ وَتِسْعين وَمِائَتَيْنِ وَألف فوصل إِلَى رِبَاط الْفَتْح لَيْلَة عيد الْفطر فاتفق أَن وَقع بهَا نادرة وَهِي أَن جمَاعَة من شُهُود اللفيف اثنى عشر جاؤوا إِلَى القَاضِي أبي عبد الله بن إِبْرَاهِيم رَحمَه الله لَيْلَة التَّاسِع وَالْعِشْرين من رَمَضَان وشهدوا عِنْده أَنهم رَأَوْا هِلَال شَوَّال بعد الْغُرُوب رُؤْيَة مُحَققَة لم يلحقهم فِيهَا شكّ وَلَا رِيبَة فَسمع القَاضِي شَهَادَتهم وسجلها وَكتب للسُّلْطَان بذلك وَهُوَ بقرميم فارتحل السُّلْطَان فِي جَوف اللَّيْل وَدخل دَاره وَأصْبح من الْغَد معيدا وَعِيد أهل العدوتين وأعمالهما والجم الْغَفِير من أهل الْمغرب الَّذين حَضَرُوا مَعَ السُّلْطَان وَلما كَانَ ظهر ذَلِك الْيَوْم وَهُوَ التَّاسِع وَالْعشْرُونَ من رَمَضَان حقق الفلكيون من أهل الدولة أَن الْعِيد لَا يُمكن فِي ذَلِك الْيَوْم وَتَكَلَّمُوا بذلك وفاهوا بِهِ فَكثر الْكَلَام بذلك وَكَانَ جلّ النَّاس على شكّ أَيْضا وَلما حَان وَقت الْغُرُوب ارتقب النَّاس الْهلَال وَالسَّمَاء مصحية لَيْسَ فِيهَا قزعة فَلم يرَوا لَهُ أثرا فَأمر السُّلْطَان أعزه الله بالنداء وَأَن النَّاس يُصْبِحُونَ صياما لِأَن رَمَضَان لَا زَالَ فصَام النَّاس من الْغَد وَبعد ذَلِك ظهر الْهلَال ظهورا مُعْتَادا وَتبين كذب الشُّهُود فسجنوا ثمَّ سرحوا بعد حِين الاستقصا لأخبار دول المغرب الأقصى لأحمد بن خالد الناصري تـ ١٣١٥ هـ

Ibn Abd 'l-Barr in al-Tamhid on the scholars who allowed using calculations of potential sightings to start a month. (Conclusion: He does not like that view at all)

14. What about CCD imaging? Some people have shared CCD images to justify early sightings. On occasions, some people venture into sharing CCD images of the moon to justify early erroneous sightings. Here is a short video explaining CCD photography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_djfA0ermCM Through is demo, it is easily established from this that it is absolutely disallowed to start the Hijri month with CCD, from a Fiqhi perspective. Highlights: - If we get one electron for each photon in the range we'd have 100% quantum efficiency. The highest quality CCDs can achieve up to 90% quantum efficiency. It is interesting to note that the quantum efficiency of the human eyes' rods and cones is only 1%. - The photons producing electrons as soon as the shutter is opened the capacitor collects the freed electrons until the shutter is closed at that point the voltage across the capacitor represents the number of electrons the capacitor collected. This information is sent to the computer. All of this is miniaturized into an integrated circuit and represents one pixel. CCDs are made of thousands or even millions of these configured as an array. In a nutshell: - CCDs are thousands of images layered on top of each other, resulting in a mega-boost of the photons (particles of light) captured. These are in no way perceptible to even telescopes, let alone the human eye. - Light (photons) is very dispersing. Single photons can hit the edges of objects that are otherwise completely dark. Whereas any visibility of the crescent with the naked eye takes hours after the astronomical new moon, a slither of the moon taken with CCD technology takes only a few minutes after the astronomical new moon. What this means is this can trigger a date of the new month that is earlier than naked eye testimony.

13. So why not simply rely on إمكانية الرؤية instead of رؤية? Because of the Sunnah. The fundamental method of moonsighting should not change, even though the tools that aid it can. It should be acknowledged, however, to a number of scholars right from the era of the Salaf used calculations to start a lunar month, based on the possibility of sighting which was denied due to cloud. Such scholars include Mutarrif ibn Abdillah al-Shikhkhir, a senior Tabi'i, as well as Ibn Qutaybah. Numerous ancient Shafi'i scholars are reported to have held the same view as well. It should be noted that it is a minority view; Ibn Abd 'l-Barr rubbished this position in al-Tamhid (see scan below). Also, it should be noted that they relied on calculations to start the month in the case of possibility of the crescent being sighted which was denied due to cloud etc. They do not allow calculations of the birth of the moon (called dark moon, or conjunction) to start the month.

12. Speak on the history of the lunar months. Were they present in the pre-Islamic era? If so, how were they calculated? The lunar months in the Islamic calendar are not the making of Islam or the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. They were set long before that, as per the verse إن عدة الشهور عند الله اثنا عشر شهرا في كتاب الله يوم خلق السماوات والأرض. Whereas there was a general timekeeping of months prior to Islam, Islam introduced time-specific acts of worship. This meant that getting the months' precise start and end dates became more important (even though Islam also incorporates the notion of error being forgiven, in the case of best efforts). Islam establishes that some effort should be made to rule out erroneous sightings. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم offered a framework for the largely unlettered Arabs (as opposed to the Jews of Arabia, who were quite educated) to manage the start and end of months; that did not mean better tools and calculations cannot be employed in subsequent eras to get a more accurate start and end of the lunar month. This is because greater accuracy leads to fewer errors, such as months with 28 days or 31 days.

11. If moonsighting is rational to the point you have demonstrated, does this mean all the prophetic narrations on the topic are now redundant? Redundancy is a heavy term in this context. The prophetic narrations on the topic give a best-effort model of establishing the month. It is also established from the Sunnah and Ijma' that every effort should be made to reduce error in sightings. Not starting a month because of clouds can lead to errors in the end of the month - this is scientific fact irrespective of any hadith or practice from the earliest generation. Also, the hadith of clouds is impractical for places and countries that are regularly cloudy. The hadith therefore is very geo-specific, similar to the شرقوا أو غربوا narration vis-a-vis answering the call of nature and not facing the Qiblah. The fact remains that naked-eye remains the Sunnah, but the effort to acquire such a sighting is now aided with technology and new means that were not available before. As thus, new technology should be viewed as lined carpets for Salah rows, which were not used in the time of the Prophet, or for example using chemicals for tanning, or detergents to clean clothes. The core ruling is the same; the means to attain the ruling can change.

10. What about when sighting is possible but it is cloudy, thus leading to a non-start of the new month? Surely this can cause error at the end of the month. This is a valid argument. To mitigate this, pure local sighting should not be considered the only method. One should rely on neighbouring countries and regions, and take sightings from area where the sky is clear. This isn't a problem for global sighting.

9. What about following Saudi Arabia alone, especially for those in the UK? Is that allowed? Following Saudi - when it is known to go against definitive astronomical data – is not allowed. However, it is possible to justify the day on which Saudi followers start a month through other means, such as having the moon having been actually seen elsewhere in the world, especially the Americas. As thus, their practice should not be viewed as totally erroneous, even though the foundation upon which they base their practice is. Dialogue should be continued with those people - and with the Saudis - until they come to their senses.

8. So if moonsighting is rational, can any difference of opinion be tolerated? Ideally, the people of country or region – even in non-Muslim countries – should start a month on the same day. However, in such non-Muslim countries that do not have a unified body, that might not be feasible due to other valid considerations, such as one mosque following local sighting and another following global. This is a Fiqhi issue and is not connected to the astronomical phenomenon. Also, the issue of naked-eye sighting versus telescopes: this can be differed over. Personally, using telescopes to start a month is a weak position, as it involves potentially starting a month at a time when naked-eye sightings is not feasible, thus bringing the date of a month forward by one day. This is problematic because telescopes widen the area of potential sightings towards the east, as can be seen in the visibility curves maps. Essentially, what it means is that we would be using a method to start the month that was not available during the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

7. Are there any other implications of this standpoint? Yes. When it is the night after the 29th day of any month, if it is impossible to view the crescent, it would NOT be Sunnah to call people to seek out the crescent (unlike what Qamar Uddin of ICOUK and some members of the Wifaq UK do). This was the recommendation given by contemporary jurists attending the astronomy conference in 1431 AH in Abu Dhabi (see point three). This, coincidentally, is the practice of Oman as well. In fact, Dr. Muhammad Shawkat Awdah states he feels embarrassed about the state of Muslim countries that ask people to seek the crescent when it is not even on the horizon. The implication of what he said is that it is a barrier to many professionals in the astronomical world to take Islam seriously, and this practice acts as a barrier to Da'wah. This should not be treated as a light issue.

6. So what is the role of a judge and court then? The role of a judge to verify, not to rubberstamp. Also, the role of a judge in an Islamic state is to make the announcement official. If there is no court or judge, that does not mean the crescent cannot be seen or the month cannot start, as is the case in non-Muslim countries. This is a basic fact. Even judges can make errors. This is demonstrated by the scenarios discussed in the books of Fiqh when there is a clear-cut error, like a large number of witnesses stepping forward claiming to have seen the crescent on the night after the 28th day, or a large number of witnesses stepping forward claiming not to have seen the crescent on the night after the 30th day. In both, it is established that the beginning of the current month was started with an error. Remedies are then presented by the jurists. Also, in the case of one’s Ramadan testimony being rejected, a number of jurists maintain the witness must fast. Either way, rejection or acceptance of testimony does not alter the basic fact of what actually occurred in the skies above.

5. Elaborate on this. How did the tools to reject false sightings differ across the ages? In spite of varying approaches, all procedures across the ages are united in that false sightings must be rejected. There is consensus on this. Just because some witnesses step forward does not mean their testimonies must be accepted. A judge in a Muslim state must make a judgement on whether these are accurate sightings. This can be done with a variety of means, such as boosting the required number of witnesses to come forward (as the Hanafis are known for doing; Hanafis have experience with Qada and this is reflected in their Fiqh works), or to ask for the shape of the crescent and cross-checking it astronomers, or to verify with astronomers whether the moon was on the horizon with a possibility of being seen. Indeed, as early as the time of Umar, Umar rejected a man’s testimony, saying that maybe he saw his eyelash and confused it with the crescent. The rejection of testimony here is an issue of fact and has nothing to do with the judiciousness (adalah) of the witnesses. In fact, even the Hanafis, who are quite strict in rejecting the testimony of a Mahdud fi Qadhf (one punished for making an inadmissible allegation of fornication against a woman), allow such a person’s report of witnessing the Ramadan crescent.

4. Does this mean we now have new criteria, different to what was in the era of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم? In terms of establishing the month, the criteria has not changed from the prophetic era. The most correct position - naked eye sighting, which is adopted by Pakistan, Oman, Morocco, etc. - remains. However, with the development of science and technology, there is scope to reduce error and reject false/erroneous sightings, compared to the tools, methods, procedures that were available in the past.

3. What logical evidence can you cite to justify this position? Moonsighting is about the practice of seeking the crescent and reducing errors in sightings. Whereas seeking the crescent can be down to variables such as sky being clear, cloudy, or polluted in terms of air quality or light, or the latitude of one's geography, concepts such as the location of the moon, time of moonset, and - to a very large degree - potential visibility can be determined by calculation. All of this has a role in reducing error. Once the possibility of error has been reduced (which is a shar'i objective), correct procedures of moonsighting can be established, thus leading to better outcomes that allow the shar'i lunar month to be in line with celestial phenomena.

2. What are the implications of this position? It becomes a Madhhab agnostic issue for the most part, in spite of any ancient differences between the jurist scholars on the topic. This means the strong position of Subki on accepting calculations to reject false sightings becomes a valid one to hold by scholars of any school.

Some further perspectives on moonsighting 1. Is moonsighting rational (aqli) or non-rational (ta'abbudi)? It is a rational act in the Shariah.